Paraprofessional

The Associate of Arts degree in School Paraprofessional is designed to prepare
students for work in a school setting as an instructional aid. The coursework
for this program has been chosen and designed to prepare students to be "highly
qualified" instructional aids and paraprofessionals.

With the No Child Left Behind guidelines, it has come the requirement that
schools hire only those paraprofessionals who are "highly qualified." Those with
two years of college or an associate degree as a paraprofessional would meet
this highly qualified criteria. Graduates of this program would be prepared for
the role as a paraprofessional and could be employed in public or private school
settings.

Students learn the instruction of basic skills along with competencies that are
appropriate for the classroom. The program is designed to provide students with
practical knowledge and strategies to apply working in classroom settings.

Paraprofessionals play a vital role in elementary and secondary classrooms
assisting teachers and creating an environment that improves learning outcomes
for children. Paraprofessionals must enjoy working with children and young
adults and want to share knowledge with others. School paraprofessionals could
be employed are teachers' assistants, library-media aides and instructional
assistants who contribute to the education of students in K-12 schools.